Calculating divider



Aug. 20, 1963 w. MEYER 8 CALCULATING DIVIDER Filed May 24, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WALL/AM MB/5Q Aug. 20, 1963 w. MEYER CALCULATING DIVIDER 2 SheetS Sheet 2 Filed May 24, 1962 5 M M M w wax/s United States Patent Filed May 24, 1962, Ser. No. 197,347

I 1 Claim. c1. 33-149 The present invention relates to a divider for use by architects, carpenters, tdraftsmen, and the like. I

An object of the present invention is to provide a calculating divider which enables a user thereof to accurately measure distances between objects such as the sides of a doorway, or to measure the length of a line on paper when drawn to a scale and to transfer the distance to an actual workpiece.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a calculating divider which has means for accurately measuring inside distances as well as outside distances between objects.

Still another object of theinvention is to provide 21 calculating divider which is simple to use, one foolproof in operation, one sturdy in construction, and one which is economically feasible.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the divider of the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is a view on an enlarged scale, of the assembly shown in FIGURE 1 with portions of the legs broken away,

FIGURE 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the head portion of the divider in a position of use,

FIGURE 5 is a view on an enlarged scale, of the pointer elements of the divider,

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 showing the pointer elements in a position for measuring an inside distance,

FIGURE 7 is a view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 77 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 8 is a View taken on the line 88 of FIG- URE 2, and

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the divider of the present invention in a position of use, on a reduced scale. Referring in detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the divider of the present invention is shown in FIGURE 2 to consist in a pair of legs 10 and 12 having heads 14 and '16, respectively, on their one ends. Theheads 14 and 16 are flat and are arranged in overlapping or face to face relation. A bolt 18 with a wing nut 20' on one end thereof secures the heads 14 and 16 together for movement of the legs toward and away from each other.

The head 14 is covered with a face plate 22 having two groups of indicia thereon, as at 24 and 26. A pointer element 28 is detachably secured to the leg 12 at a point adjacent the head 16 so that it overlies the plate 22. The element 28 is provided with a straight edge 30 which cooperates with the indicia 26 on the plate 22.

The pointer element 28 is also provided with a trans- Patented Aug. 20, 1963 In addition to the straight edge 30 which cooperates with the indicia 26 on the plate 22 the element 28 is also provided with indicia 40 which cooperates with venier indicator lines 42 also on the plate 22.

The indicia 40 is inscribed upon a plate element 44 which is set into the transparent pointer element 28, as shown most clearly in FIGURES 3 and 8.

The portion of the leg 12 adjacent the head 16 is thicker than the remainder portion of the leg 12 and at the junction of the leg 12 with the head 16, there is a sloping face 46 which is engaged by a lug 43 projecting from the periphery of the head 14 and normally diametrically ing pin 6% received in a hole 62 provided in the adjacent part of the portion of vthernember 52. Another pin 64 projects from the free end of the leg 12 and is received in a hole 66 provided in the member 54. As shown in FIGURE 6 the pins and corresponding holes 60 and 66 are offset to opposite sides of the respective studs 56. This permits the positioning of the members 52 and 54 as in FIGURE 5 in which position the user of the divider may measure the outside measurements of an object. In FIGURE 6 the members 52 and 54 are in position for measuring the inside measurement between two objects or the sides of an opening such as a door or window opening.

This change of the members 52 and 54 from the position in FIGURE 5 to the position in FIGURE 6 is accomplished by removing the respective wing nuts 58 and turning each of the pointer members 52 and 54 halfway around and reinserting them upon their respective studs 56.

In use, when it is desired to make an outside measurement the members 52 and 54 are disposed as in FIGURE 5. The element 28 is then positioned as in the full line showing in FIGURE 2 with the straight edge 39 on zero and with the bolt 36 at the end of the slot 34 remote from the indicia 40-. Now when the legs 10 and 12 are spread so as to bring the free ends of the members 52 and 54 into engagement with the ends of an object, a direct reading of the distance between the ends of the object may be obtained by observing the indicia 26 where it is intercepted by the straight edge 3t). For reasons of simplicity the indicia 26 is in increments of inches and the venier lines 42 are in rows representing fractions of an inch. The lines 42 are not radial and when the straight edge 30 is in alignment with one line at a particular point in that line it will be obvious that the indicia of the row of indicia 40 will correspond to the fraction of an inch measured between the members 52 and 54.

When it is desired to make an inside measurement, the wing nut 38 is loosened on the bolt 36 and the element 28 is shifted to the right from the full line position in FIGURE 2 to the dot-ted line position. This shifting is accompanied by a reading on the scale or indicia 26 the distance between the free ends of the members 52 and 54 when they are set in the position of 56. This measurement may be made by a conventional ruler or other means.

This shifting of the element 28 permits the changing of the members 52 and 54 and accounts for the overall thickness of the free end portions of the members 52 and 54 when shifting from the outside measuring position to the inside measuring position.

While only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, other embodiments are contemplated and numerous changes and modifications may be made in the invention Without departing from the spirit thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

In a calculating divider including a pair of legs each terminating at one end in a flat head, said heads being arranged in face to face relation and being connected together for movement of said legs toward and away from each other, and a pointer extension member arranged in end to end angular relation With respect to the free end of each leg, each of said members being detachably secured to the adjacent leg, the head of one of said legs being provided With scale means, a pin projecting from theother of said legs adjacent to and spaced from the head thereof, and a straight edge element having a slot therethrough adjustably mounted on said other leg with said pin received in said slot, a portion of said element overlying said scale means, said slot being ofa length to permit shifting of said element relative to said scale means a distance at least equal to the overall thickness of said pointer me-mber'free ends.

77,643 Sanger Dec. 13, 1904 1,251,648 Dunn Jan. 1, 1918 1,294,263 Herman Feb. 11, 1919 1,827,093 McCa-be Oct. 13, 1931 2,403,254 Yankun July 2,1946 2,663,086 Gardner Dec. 22, 1953 t FOREIGN PATENTS 436,546 France Jan. 25, 1912 350,065 Ger-many Mar. 13, 1922 548,317 Great Britain Oct. 6, 1942 

